


A Sweet and Savory Saunter

by Ethanol



Category: Love Live! Sunshine!!
Genre: Cheese, F/F, Fluff, Picnics, more cheese
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-19
Updated: 2021-01-19
Packaged: 2021-03-17 18:21:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,298
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28853457
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ethanol/pseuds/Ethanol
Summary: Dia and Yoshiko go out for a picnic and eat cheese.
Relationships: Kurosawa Dia/Tsushima Yoshiko
Comments: 4
Kudos: 13





	A Sweet and Savory Saunter

**Author's Note:**

  * For [scarlettholly](https://archiveofourown.org/users/scarlettholly/gifts).



"It's a perfect day for a picnic, wouldn't you say?" Dia remarked with a smile, tucking a strand of silk black hair as they walked. Behind her was a hum of agreement, quickly followed by an encumbered huff.

Dia rolled her eyes, not gracing the noise with her gaze. "Oh come now, Yoshiko. The bag isn't that heavy."

"Speak for yourself. Also, it's Yohane!" she yelled in protest, adjusting the strap on her shoulder for the umpteenth time. Yoshiko's eyes looked down at the duffel bag on her side. Just what did Dia bring with her on this picnic, an entire kitchen?

"You did offer to carry the heaviest bag, did you not?" Dia reminded with a coy smile, piercing emerald opting to look at evergreen foliage. Yoshiko did her best not to be mesmerized by the beauty that essentially fooled her into this death march up a small hill.

Still, she bit her lip, unable to refute her words. She thought it would be good to be nice towards Dia for a change. As forgiveness, and thanks for watching over them in Aqours. Now, as her feet ached walking up the uneven dirt path, she began to regret this gesture of kindness.

Well, from what Ruby had told her, she was excited for what Dia had in store for their picnic. From the younger Kurosawa's words, Dia had been preparing the entire week. Surely, a feast awaited the fallen angel once they crested the hill? Perhaps this arduous march would be worth it in the end.

"So, how have your studies been Yoshiko?" Dia asked aloud. Yohane rolled her eyes at the attempt of conversation. What was she, her mother? Well, from her experience as a group, that comparison wasn't far off.

She shrugged her shoulders, the small movement weighing down her arm. "Nothing spectacular, I guess. Math is kicking my ass, but I think I'm managing."

Yoshiko felt eyes on her. An emerald glint peered over Dia's shoulder. "Are you perhaps struggling with the current topic?"

"Eh, maybe." Yoshiko looked off, her tone dismissive. "Look, I don't really want to talk about class right now, okay?"

"Why is that so?" Dia quirked an eyebrow, suspicious. "Are there other issues you are hiding?"

Yoshiko shook her head, meeting the sharp emerald gaze. "What if I started prodding about your student council business on a day like this? It would spoil all the fun, don't you think?"

Dia blinked, taken aback. Yoshiko couldn't help the smug pull of her lips, returning the formal prose. She watched the stare return up front, leaving her in peace.

"I apologize, I only wished to make idle chatter."

"Yeah, I could tell," Yoshiko remarked, stifling deep laughter. She noticed Dia's shoulders droop, making her feel slightly guilty. "Don't worry about it. How about you try again, but this time with topics I don't hate?"

"I see," Dia muttered, letting out a quiet hum of thought. "I suppose that works."

She stepped aside a large rock on the path. Yoshiko leapt on it, nearly stumbling before making a flailing recovery with her arms. "Have you been delving into any recent hobbies, Yoshiko?"

"Yohane!" she snapped, shooting a glare at Dia's back. "Hobbies, huh? Not really. Oh, I have been interested in online articles made by users on the internet."

"Oh?" An interested coo. The noise brought a warm feeling to Yoshiko's chest, urging her to continue.

"It's an online collaborative wiki that makes imaginary entries on anomalous beings on and off Earth. Of course, they're unlikely to be real, but there's some pretty interesting things. Some are pretty scary if you think about it, too."

The rest of the short climb was a one-sided conversation. Yoshiko went on with her recent saunter of the internet, Dia listening on with interest. It made the walk slightly bearable. When they finally reached the top, Yoshiko hadn't noticed until her eyes scanned the open scenery, looking back at the dirt path they followed.

Suspicion grew. Yoshiko turned back, raising a brow at Dia. "Did you just keep me talking so I wouldn't be complaining about the walk here?"

"I'm afraid I do not know what you mean," Dia said, ignoring the slight smirk on her face. "I was only interested in your past time and nothing more, Yoshiko."

The fallen angel watched, waiting for the telltale sign Ruby had told her.

Dia merely moved on, not scratching her mole. Yoshiko nodded to herself, relieved. At least she was being honest. "So, where are we setting up? I think my arm's dead now."

"Just over here. I'll get the blanket set up for us." Dia reached in her bag, producing a folded cotton blanket. She strayed from the dirt path, letting the checkered red and white flutter in the gentle breeze. Yoshiko stood behind, actively supervising Dia crouch on the grass and add weights on the corner of the large blanket.

"How do you know about this place, anyway?" Yoshiko asked, surveying the view of the quiet seaside town. Green mountains flanked the left, the expansive ocean right across it. Where they stood was a combination of rolling hills and Mikan plantations. At least she was spared a path filled with the orange devils.

"Ruby and I used to come up here for picnics with my family when we were younger. Incidentally, this land belongs to my family." Of course it did. Yoshiko wondered how wealthy The Kurosawas were. It felt different to the financial capabilities of Mari's family. From one visit to their household, Dia felt more like she was in a nobility than anything else.

Yoshiko shrugged. Dia did play Koto in her past time, how much more of a traditional Japanese princess can you be?

"There." Dia sat on the blanket, facing the sea before looking up at Yoshiko. "Take a seat wherever, Yoshiko. Oh, and you can set the bag down now."

"Thank Hell," Yoshiko said with a huff, placing the bag between Dia and the spot she fell to her knees on. It was soft, not as scratchy as she expected. "So, will you tell me what you've prepared for us this lovely afternoon?"

Dia shot a look at the slight sarcasm in her tone but elected to ignore it. "Something for the occasion. I hope it's to your tastes."

Something spicy? Yoshiko couldn't help but look on in anticipation as Dia opened the duffel bag, rifling a hand through its contents. A mixture of noises emanated from the bag. Just how much did she bring?

"Ah, here it is." Dia smiled, pulling out a round board of wood. A dull shine underneath the sun, showing off fine craftsmanship and dark varnish. She set it out between them, piquing the fallen angel's curiosity.

One by one, Dia brought the items out with a hum. Yoshiko first took note of an assortment of bowls, varying in material, size, and shine. All had a fine quality, reflecting Dia's character. Next, she took out a small item wrapped in cloth, setting it on one corner of the board before unwrapping it.

A sharp scent entered her nose. Cheese? Dia gave a smile at the yellow puck, then returned to retrieving more from the duffel bag.

Yoshiko eyed the peculiar item. Cheese was a peculiar item to bring out for a picnic, but everyone has their preferences. She watched Dia produce a plastic container, removing the lid and lining up its contents in a pattern on the board.

"Wait," Yoshiko spoke under her breath, watching Dia set up cleanly cut orange squares. More cheese? Her eyes bounced to the earlier cheese, noticing the different colors.

"Uh, they're different types of cheese?"

Just as the question left Yoshiko's lips, Dia's gaze snapped up with an eager glint. Oh no.

"Why, yes." Dia nodded, closing the container before taking out another one. This time it was a pale-yellow wedge which she set facing out to Yoshiko. "There are many types of cheese, depending on consistency, source, and sharpness."

From the way Dia talked about it, Yoshiko thought we was discussing poison, or weapon types.

"What's your preferred kind of cheese, Yoshiko?" Dia glanced up, her hands busying with distributing another type of cheese on the wooden board. It had a normal color of cheese, but had a thin layer of bright red.

Yoshiko bounced her gaze, thinking of the first word that came to her mind. "Uh... Mozzarella?"

Dia hummed to her words. She wasn't immediately yelled at, which was a good sign. She knew the third year to be quite a stickler for details.

"Ah yes," Dia said with a faint smile, dropping slices of a moist-looking type of cheese onto the board. "A versatile cheese. I brought some with me, so take as much as you like."

"O-oh, thanks..." Yoshiko stuttered, watching this wooden board fill with an assortment of cheeses. Then, Dia began taking out different forms of meats from plastic containers, setting them near the varying types of cheese.

She couldn't take it anymore, she had to know. "Uh, Dia?"

"Yes, Yoshiko?" Dia looked up, setting up rolls of provolone beside thin cuts of meat.

"Do you... Like cheese?"

"I'm not particular," Dia answered too quickly, a finger reaching up to scratch her mole. Yoshiko nodded, pointing down at the puck of cheese kept in cloth.

"I like the look of this one, what is it?" Yoshiko met a confused gaze, a meld of worry and interest behind the piercing emerald. Dia licked her lips, swallowing apprehension.

"Do you... Wish to know?"

"I mean, I asked right?" she countered, shrugging her shoulders. At her words, Dia's eyes lit up, sitting herself properly before pointing to the particular cheese she brought her attention to.

"If you insist, Yoshiko-"

"Ah!" Yoshiko brought a finger up, silencing Dia. "Only if you refer to me properly."

"Of course," Dia swallowed, clearing her throat. "Then, Yohane."

The call of her true name from such prestigious lips brought a smirk to Yohane's face. She nodded, following her eyes down to the wooden board.

"This is what you may call a Charcuterie. Or, a cheeseboard if you will if it's just cheese. It has a varying assortments of cheeses, not one type of cheese is the same as the other."

As Dia filled a bowl with pickled plums, she pointed to a square slices. "This is cheddar, a typical cheese used for many things. However, this particular type is sharper, so partake in small bites."

"Sharp?" Yoshiko raised a brow. "Sharp how?"

"Why not have a taste and find out, Yohane." Dia gestured to a bowl of toothpicks. Yohane nodded, taking one and stabbing one of the cheddar slices. She watched the waiting look on Dia before biting half, heeding her advice.

Immediately, she understood why she referred to it as sharp. The taste was overpowering, stabbing at her tongue the minute it began to dissolve under the temperate of her mouth. Yohane's eyes lit up, taken aback at the flavor. It was different to spice, but it strangely gave her the same fleeting excitement dancing on her taste buds. Sat across her, Dia giggled, pointing to the board.

"Have it with something sweet, Yohane. May I suggest the fruits?" She brought a small jar of berries up to Yohane, who found herself a pair of chopsticks and taking one. It was bad etiquette, but Dia let it slide this one time.

The sweet juices of the berries contrasted with the sharpness of the cheese, like bright fireworks against the dark night sky. Yohane chewed, a filled smile etched on her face. She swallowed, sighing out in content before meeting Dia's eyes. "Wow... That was uh, something."

A bright smile met her words. "I'm pleased to hear that. Do you wish to try another?" Dia asked. Yohane answered a split second after. "In that case, I implore you to try the Camembert. It is a soft cheese, quite overpowering in taste, so I recommend some of the bread and crackers I baked myself."

Yohane looked down, noticing that the board was fuller the last time she looked. It had a wide ensemble of cheese, meats, fruits, nuts, and pastries. So, this is what Ruby meant when she mentioned that Dia had taken a lengthy preparation for this picnic.

Dia offered a bowl, taking it with a small thanks before pairing it with, what was it? Camembert, along with a few crackers sprinkled with coarse salt.

A soft texture met her lips, her tongue greeted with a salty, earthy, creamy flavor. Yohane chewed slow, taking intermittent bites of the crackers when the taste of the cheese began to rise. It was good, very good. Yohane helped herself to another, a smile on her face.

"I see you have a new favorite," Dia remarked with a giggle. She cut herself a bit from the cheese with a bright red exterior, picking up a few strawberries on the way. "Gouda is great on its own if you enjoy its complexity of salt and nuttiness, but I always pair it with a contrasting sweetness. Including the rind is an acquired taste, however."

"Oh?" Yohane swallowed, mimicking her movements. She took a bite of Gouda, the taste reminding her of typical cheese-flavored products, pastries, and dishes.

Dia saw her expression, stifling a soft laugh. "Gouda is the most famous cheese, mostly used everywhere for its mild flavor. If I had to describe it, Gouda has the most 'cheese' flavor."

Gentle winds blew across the field, carrying their lively conversation of cheese into the seaborne winds. Yohane enjoyed every recommendation, paired with Dia's excited words. Amidst the savory, salty, and sweet, the smile on her face was Yohane's greatest reward.

However, the Camembert was a close second.

**Author's Note:**

> with this my debt is cheese
> 
> i hope you enjoyed this demons like i enjoy cheese, some cheeses weren't discussed because i had to stop myself before i got too hungry for cheese
> 
> support my commissions so i can buy myself cheese
> 
> thank you for reading, and happy cheese


End file.
